U.S. patent number 7,508,810 [Application Number 11/048,623] was granted by the patent office on 2009-03-24 for voice channel control of wireless packet data communications.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Airbiquity Inc.. Invention is credited to Darrin L. Garret, Kamyar Moinzadeh, David C. Quimby.
United States Patent |
7,508,810 |
Moinzadeh , et al. |
March 24, 2009 |
Voice channel control of wireless packet data communications
Abstract
A data session with a wireless device ordinarily cannot be
initiated from the network side because the wireless device has no
predetermined IP or other network address. Methods are disclosed
for instead causing the wireless unit to initiate a data session
with a target destination, thereby obviating the IP addressing
problem. A voice call is first initiated by a requester application
to a remote wireless unit. The requester transmits a request
message to the remote wireless unit via the wireless voice channel
using in-band techniques; preferably including a payload in the
polling message that identifies the target destination. In
response, the remote wireless unit initiates a packet data session
with the target destination.
Inventors: |
Moinzadeh; Kamyar (Bellevue,
WA), Garret; Darrin L. (Kingston, WA), Quimby; David
C. (Seattle, WA) |
Assignee: |
Airbiquity Inc. (Seattle,
WA)
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Family
ID: |
36756461 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/048,623 |
Filed: |
January 31, 2005 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20060171368 A1 |
Aug 3, 2006 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
370/346; 370/493;
370/496; 370/449 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W
68/00 (20130101); H04L 67/14 (20130101); H04W
76/00 (20130101); H04L 69/14 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04L
12/403 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;370/346,449,352-355,465,493,496,522 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2242495 |
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EP |
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Jan 1994 |
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EP |
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WO 89/12835 |
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Dec 1989 |
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WO |
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WO 99/56144 |
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Nov 1999 |
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WO |
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WO 01/78249 |
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Oct 2001 |
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WO |
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03034235 |
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Apr 2003 |
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WO |
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Project Overview." Published on the Internet at
<http://tang.itd.nrl.navy.mil/5522/anycast/anycast.sub.--index.html>-
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3 pages. cited by other .
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Vaha-Sipila, A., URLs for Telephone Calls, Request for Comments:
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U.S. Appl. No. 60/047,034 to Preston, filed May 19, 1997. cited by
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U.S. Appl. No. 60/047,140 to Preston, filed May 20, 1997. cited by
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pp. 1-34. cited by other.
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Primary Examiner: Jung; Min
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Stolowitz Ford Cowger LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A method of polling a remote wireless unit, the method
comprising: establishing a voice call between a requester and the
remote wireless unit, the voice call established on a wireless
voice channel of a telecommunications network; after the voice call
is established between the requester and the remote wireless unit,
transmitting a digital polling message from the requester to the
remote wireless unit via the wireless voice channel; including a
payload in the digital polling message that identifies a target
resource, wherein the digital polling message is transmitted
in-band over the wireless voice channel separately from an
out-of-band control channel, and wherein the payload is represented
by audio frequency signals selected to pass through the wireless
voice channel unobstructed by vocoders operating in the
telecommunications network; and in the remote wireless unit,
responsive to the digital polling message, initiating a packet data
session with the target resource.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target resource is
a predetermined IP network location, and wherein the audio
frequency signals are used to identify the target resource to the
remote wireless unit.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target resource is
specified by a predetermined identifier carried in the payload, the
predetermined identifier represented by the audio frequency
signals.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target resource is
specified by a URL carried in the payload, the URL represented by
the audio frequency signals.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target resource is
specified by an IP address carried in the payload, the IP address
represented by the audio frequency signals.
6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising pulling data
from the remote wireless unit via a wireless network packet data
session, wherein the wireless network packet data session is
automatically initiated by the remote wireless unit in response to
receiving the digital polling message and without manual user
intervention at the remote wireless unit, and wherein the data is
pulled from the wireless unit over the wireless network packet data
session without manual user intervention at the remote wireless
unit.
7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the polling message
payload further comprises at least one delivery parameter, the
delivery parameter represented by the audio frequency signals.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the delivery parameter
is one of a selected wireless network packet data service, a data
rate and a priority parameter, the selected delivery parameter
represented by the audio frequency signals.
9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the polling message
payload identifies a type of data to be transmitted in the wireless
packet data session.
10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the type of data to be
transmitted is data indicating a location of the remote wireless
unit.
11. A wireless communications system, comprising: a computer
coupled to a telecommunications network; a polling requester
application executable on the computer for sending a polling
message through a wireless voice channel of the telecommunications
network to a wireless remote unit, wherein the polling message is
represented by audio frequency signals selected to pass though the
wireless voice channel unobstructed by vocoders operating in the
telecommunications network; a wireless remote unit having wireless
telecommunications capability for receiving a voice call; the
remote unit configured to recover the polling message from the
voice channel; and the remote unit configured to initiate a data
session responsive to the recovered polling message.
12. The wireless communications system of claim 11, wherein the
polling requester application transmits a payload in the polling
message.
13. The wireless communications system of claim 12, wherein the
polling requester application identifies a target network resource
in the payload.
14. The wireless communications system of claim 12, wherein the
payload includes indicia of at least one data session
parameter.
15. A method of uploading data from a wireless unit, the method
comprising: receiving a voice call in the wireless unit via a
wireless telecommunications network; recovering a request message
from the voice call, wherein the request message is encoded as
audio frequency signals transmitted in-band in a wireless voice
channel of the received voice call, wherein the audio frequency
signals are received over the wireless voice channel and separately
from an out-of-band control channel; and responsive to the
recovered request message, initiating a data session between the
wireless unit and a target resource for uploading data using a
digital wireless data service.
16. The method of uploading data from a wireless unit according to
claim 15, further comprising downloading data to the wireless unit
in the data session.
17. The method of uploading data from a wireless unit according to
claim 15, wherein the data session is initiated with a
predetermined network resource in response to receiving the request
message.
18. The method of uploading data from a wireless unit according to
claim 17, wherein the network resource is identified by a URL or an
IP address in the request message.
19. The method of uploading data from a wireless unit according to
claim 15, wherein the recovered request message includes a network
address of the target resource.
20. The method of uploading data from a wireless unit according to
claim 15, wherein the wireless unit comprises a cell phone.
21. A wireless unit, comprising: a transceiver configured to
receive a voice call via a wireless telecommunications network;
communication circuitry coupled to the transceiver, the
communication circuitry configured to recover a request message
from the voice call, wherein the request message is encoded as
audio frequency signals transmitted in-band in a wireless voice
channel of the received voice call, wherein the audio frequency
signals are received over the wireless voice channel and separately
from an out-of-band control channel; and the communication
circuitry further configured to initiate a data session between the
wireless unit and a target resource for uploading data using a
digital wireless data service, wherein the data session is
initiated according to the request message.
22. The wireless unit of claim 21, wherein the communication
circuitry is further configured to automatically initiate the data
session in response to recovering the request message from the
received voice call, wherein the data session is initiated
independently of any local user inputs to the wireless unit.
23. The wireless unit of claim 22, wherein the communication
circuitry is further configured to automatically upload data
identified by the audio frequency signals over the data session
independently of any local user inputs to the wireless unit.
Description
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
.COPYRGT. 2005 Airbiquity Inc. A portion of the disclosure of this
patent document contains material that is subject to copyright
protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile
reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent
disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent
file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights
whatsoever. 37 CFR .sctn. 1.71(d).
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention pertains to data communications via wireless
communications networks, and more specifically it relates to use of
the voice channel to trigger a network initiated data session such
as an IP session.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Data transfer services in the wireless domain are known and
certainly still evolving. Examples include SMS (short messaging
service) and other SS7 control channel services. They can be used,
for example, for text messaging. They do not affect the voice
channels, but offer very limited bandwidth, so the amounts of data
transferred are quite limited.
The WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) specifications and software
offer some improved services. For example, they can be implemented
to provide limited Internet access to a mobile unit. (We use the
term "mobile unit" herein to refer broadly to any device with
wireless connectivity, including without limitation a cell phone,
PDA, laptop computer, palmtop, motor vehicle, etc.). The WAP
services, however, require that the mobile unit itself be WAP
enabled, and that the wireless carrier network also be WAP enabled.
Thus, wireless carriers have to deploy and maintain WAP gateways at
the edges of the network to provide WAP services. Some mobile
units, and some networks or geographic areas may not be WAP
enabled, so these services would not be available for data
communication.
One approach to wireless data transfer that does not require
changes in the wireless network infrastructure, although it
requires specific implementation at both endpoints of a session, is
the use of "in-band" data transfer. As the name implies, this
technique transfers data in the voice channel, using carefully
selected and timed audio frequency tones. (Commonly, wireless data
transfer services do not use the voice channel at all.) In-band or
voice channel data transfer can be done with little or no
interruption of a voice conversation. Details of in-band signaling
are explained in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,144,336; 6,690,681 and 6,493,338
all incorporated wherein by this reference. These types of
in-voice-channel data communications have two primary advantages:
the wireless voice channel is reliable, and the technique works
transparently across networks and carriers throughout the country
and beyond. The data simply passes transparently through the voice
service, as it "looks" like voice. However, in-band signaling
provides only a very low bandwidth up to around 400 bps. That makes
it almost useless for transferring significant amounts of data.
Higher bandwidth wireless data services are rapidly becoming
available throughout the world. These services operate over
dedicated data channels, not the voice channels. The newer
specifications, so-called "3G" or third generation wireless
technologies, while not yet widely implemented, promise packet data
rates as follows, according to IMT-2000 standards: 2 Mbps for fixed
environment 384 Mbps for pedestrian (i.e. slow-moving mobile unit)
144 kbps for vehicular traffic
One problem, however, with virtually all wireless data services, is
the difficulty in accessing those services in a network "polling"
type of application. Polling (or "pulling data") here refers to
contacting a mobile unit to pull or retrieve digital data needed by
a requester. (The "requester" typically would be an application
program.) Preferably, an authorized requester should be able to
poll remote mobile units, and fetch data, without manual user
intervention at the remote location. In other words, a polling
process should be able to be completely automated, although for
some applications it can be advantageously initiated by a user at
the requester end.
To illustrate, a wireless automated inventory control system may
seek to poll units, say trucks or tanks, to learn their present
location, fuel supply, operator ID, etc. A packet data connection,
for example an IP connection, cannot be established with a mobile
unit from the network side (we call this "network initiated") using
prior technology, because the mobile device has no predetermined IP
address. Rather, an IP address is dynamically assigned to a mobile
unit only if and when it initiates a session to an IP network.
Accordingly, a user application cannot poll a remote mobile unit to
establish a packet data transfer session using known
technologies.
A system has been suggested for IP addressing of GPRS mobile
terminals that purportedly would enable TCP/IP connection without a
phone call. That proposal recognized that there are not enough IP
addresses available (under the current Ipv4 regime) to assign one
to every wireless terminal. The proposal calls for a combination of
Public Addresses (registered with public routing tables) and
Private addresses, not to be routed on the public Internet. Rather,
the private (IP-like) addresses would only to be used within a GPRS
operator's own network. This would require network address
translation (NAT) facilities and is generally impractical. Even if
implemented, such a scheme does not solve the problem that the
mobile (or wireless) terminal address is unknown, and is not
publicly discoverable in a convenient way.
The need remains for a convenient and effective way to poll a
remote mobile unit, that is, to request a packet data session, for
uploading or downloading data via the wireless network, without
changing the wireless carrier infrastructure and in a manner
compatible with existing packet data networks and protocols such as
IP.
SUMMARY
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a
combination of in-band or voice channel signaling together with
packet data services is employed to overcome the lack of a
predetermined IP address of a mobile unit. A voice call is
established between a requester and the remote mobile unit. A short
polling message is transmitted in the voice channel from the
requester using in-band digital data transmission ("IBS"). The
request message includes in its payload data that identifies
(directly or indirectly) a target resource such as a URL or IP
address. The mobile unit responds by initiating a wireless packet
data session with the indicated target resource which may be, for
example, a server system.
This new approach of using the voice channel signaling to enable a
network initiated data session will solve the existing problem
associated with assigning an IP address (Simple IP and Mobile IP
assignment for both IPv4 and IPv6) to a mobile device and do so in
a timely and more efficient manor.
Presently the existing cellular infrastructure does not allow
mobile devices to pre-register their IP address with the cellular
data network, instead it must be assigned to the mobile device by
the cellular data network when a mobile device first initiates a
request for a data session using a Simple IP protocol, or the
mobile device must initiate an IP address discovery process using
the Mobile IP protocol. In ether case the cellular data network
does not know of the routing location of the IP address for a
mobile device until the mobile device first initiates a data
session.
The core data network of any data enabled cellular network can use
this unique invention to initiate a data transfer session, which we
will call a Network Initiated Data Session (NIDS) and is described
as follows:
According to one aspect of the invention, in-band signaling methods
and apparatus and employed to "push" a request to a mobile unit or
"node". We call this a Mobile Terminated (MT) request. (The mobile
device is of course in-band signaling enabled, meaning essentially
that it can send and receive digital data through the voice channel
of a wireless network.)
The receiving mobile unit (mobile node) detects--and triggers the
mobile device (or other system coupled to the mobile device) to
initiate a data session with the cellular network using an
available data channel, not the voice channel, to transmit data to
a specified (or default) destination.
When a request is made of the mobile device, by using voice channel
signaling, the network can initiate a data session between the
mobile device and any network or internet entity at any time using
the voice channel of the cellular network, or any other radio
frequency derived audio channel where voice channel signaling
functions. Due to the real time speed and quality of service of
in-band (voice channel) services, a distinct time savings and
reliability advantage can be made over any other approach for
network initiated data sessions. These advantages are of paramount
importance for public safety and security applications.
The present invention is also independent of any digital cellular
technology and is not tied to any individual cellular carrier's
voice, data, or messaging service, which is also unique and
advantageous offering greater cellular coverage capabilities when
compared to existing approaches.
Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent from the
following detailed description of preferred embodiments, which
proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a simplified high-level diagram illustrating operation of
representative embodiments of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a messaging diagram showing principle interactions among
nodes involved in an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference is now made to the figures in which like reference
numerals refer to like elements. For clarity, the first digit of a
reference numeral indicates the figure number in which the
corresponding element is first used.
In the following description, certain specific details of
programming, software modules, user selections, network
transactions, database queries, database structures, etc., are
provided for a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the
invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that
the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific
details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc.
In some cases, well-known structures, materials, or operations are
not shown or described in detail in order to avoid obscuring
aspects of the invention. Furthermore, the described features,
structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable
manner in one or more embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a simplified high-level diagram illustrating certain
embodiments of the methodology of the present invention. Referring
to FIG. 1, a requestor application program can be provided on a
suitable computer 100. The request or polling application can be
activated by a user as needed or preprogrammed for automatic
operation at scheduled times. The computer system 100 is coupled to
a telephone line which may include a conventional telephone 102 and
in any event is connected via 104 to the public switched telephone
network PSTN 106. This connection can be, for example, an ordinary
telephone land line as is commonly used for voice calls. It could
also be part of a larger enterprise system that may involve a PBX
(not shown), or it may be a wireless telecom connection.
A wireless carrier network 108 is connected to the PSTN 106 for
handling wireless call traffic, the details of which are well
known. The wireless network 108 includes a series of base stations
which include antennas and wireless transceivers, generally
referred to as a cell tower 110. Transceivers are mounted atop the
cell tower 110 for two-way wireless communications with various
wireless mobile devices such as a cell phone 112 or PDA 114. The
base station antennas need not literally be mounted on a tower. In
urban areas, in particular, they are more commonly affixed to
buildings.
In accordance with the invention, a requestor or a requestor
application executing on computer 100 initiates a voice telephone
call, via the PSTN or wireless, directed to a remote mobile unit
such as the cell phone 112. The connection from the requestor
application need not be hard wired to the PSTN but could itself be
a wireless telephone link. The requester system 100 also may have
access to the Internet 122, typically through an ISP (internet
service provide) 124. The connection to the ISP could take any of
various forms, for example utilizing cable or the PSTN network, as
are known.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a method is
provided for polling the remote wireless unit as follows: First,
the requester system 100 initiates a voice call to the remote
wireless station. This of course requires that the telephone number
of the device is known. Other kinds of mobile devices, such as the
PDA 114 or even a motor vehicle 116 can include apparatus that is
configured to interact with the wireless network as if it were a
cell phone, although it may not actually include a microphone or a
speaker. For example, devices can be configured to automatically
answer a wireless call, and provide the control channel signaling
to emulate answering a cell phone. Once a voice call is established
between the requestor 100 and the remote wireless unit 112, the
requestor system 100 transmits a digital request message to the
remote wireless terminal via the wireless voice channel on which
the voice call is established. In other words, the digital request
message is sent "in band" through the use of audio frequency tones
that are arranged so that they will pass through the voice channel
unobstructed.
The request message preferably includes a payload that identifies a
target resource. In the remote wireless unit, for example 112, 114,
apparatus or software is implemented that will respond to the
digital request message by initiating a packet data session with
the target resource identified in the request message. By "packet
data session" we mean a data transfer session that utilizes one or
more of the data services provided by the wireless carrier, as
distinguished from voice services.
The target resource may be, but is not limited to, the requester
system 100 itself. In other words, the wireless terminal 112 may be
instructed to initiate a packet data session back to the requestor
system. That session would traverse link 120 from the wireless
network infrastructure to the Internet 122 and thence to the
requestor 100 via the ISP 124. As noted, this process can be
automated by implementing suitable software at the requestor 100
and at the wireless unit 112 so that it can occur without user
action at either end of the packet data session.
The target resource can be identified in the request message by a
predetermined identifier, such as a simple alphanumeric name or
code. The wireless terminal software can perform a look-up in
memory to determine a corresponding URL or IP address.
Alternatively, the target URL or IP address can be included in the
request message itself.
The target resource need not be the requesting system 100. In one
alternative embodiment, it could be a server 130 which is coupled
to the Internet through an ISP and configured to perform data
collection, utilizing standard packet data session protocols such
as the Internet protocol. The target may be a web server suitably
configured to interact with the mobile unit.
In other embodiments, the request message payload can include
various delivery parameters, in addition to identification of a
target resource. The delivery parameters might include, by way of
example and not limitation, a preferred packet data service, a
packet data rate, and/or a priority parameter. These parameters can
be recovered from the message payload by the wireless terminal
software and it can initiate a responsive packet data session in
accordance with those parameters. For example, in the case of a
relatively low priority parameter, the application software might
select a data service or time of day to initiate the packet data
session that is lower performance but incurs lower cost.
Referring again to FIG. 1, the tanker truck 116 is merely
illustrative of a wide variety of mobile assets, including but not
limited to motor vehicle assets, that could participate in the
present system, assuming they are outfitted with a wireless unit as
explained above. FIG. 1 also shows a second wireless base station
tower 136 illustrating that the packet data session need not
involve the same base station, or even the same wireless carrier,
as that which carried the request message via the voice channel.
The requested packet data session could occur through a second
wireless network 138 which is also coupled to the Internet via 140.
And again, the packet data session could be established with any
target resource, including but not limited to the requestor
application 100 or a separate server 130.
In other embodiments of the invention, a live user or operator at a
computer 150, having access to the Internet, could poll one or more
remote wireless units to request a data transfer. For example, a
user at say a public safety location such as a 911 emergency call
taker, could access a web server (not shown) which has voice call
telephone access such as 104. Through the means of a suitably
programmed web page interface (using, for example, cgi scripting or
the like), a user at 150 could initiate a request message which
would take the form of a voice call from the web server, through
the PSTN and the wireless network as described above, to a remote
or mobile unit. The request message could include identification of
the call taker center at 150 as the target resource to deliver
requested information via a packet data session.
The present invention is not limited to downloading data from the
wireless terminal to the requestor. The requested packet data
session could also be used to download information to the wireless
terminal.
FIG. 2 is a messaging diagram that further illustrates principal
features and characteristics of certain embodiments of the
invention.
Referring to FIG. 2, a signaling or message flow diagram further
illustrates methodologies in accordance with the present invention.
Beginning with "time interval A" and initiating application 208
essentially places a voice call out to the mobile telephony device
204. As noted above, the initiating application could be a software
application deployed on a computer or on a server and it may or may
not necessarily require a conventional telephone. It does require
access to the wireless network, directly or through the PSTN. The
telephony device, in turn, makes a voice call through the cellular
network 202 which in turn makes a wireless call to the mobile unit
200. The mobile unit answers the call, thereby establishing a voice
channel "connection" back to the telephony device 204. Once that
voice call is established, the initiating application, at "time
interval B" transmits a request message in the voice channel to the
mobile device 200. Optionally, the mobile device may respond with
an acknowledgement message in the voice channel.
Referring now to "time point C," responsive to the request message,
the mobile terminal 200 initiates a data network connection, which
traverses the cellular network 202 and establishes a packet data
session via the IP network 206. Here, the target or destination
resource is coupled to the IP network 206. The IP network in turn
responds to the mobile node 200 at "time point D" and then, as
indicated at "time point E" a packet data session is established
between the mobile node 200 and the IP network or target 206. "Time
point F" indicates that the IP resource may not be the ultimate
recipient of the data, but rather, it could be configured to
forward that data to an ultimate destination address which may be,
but is not limited to, the initiating application 208.
The process used by the core data network, internet application, or
stand alone device to initiate a data session using aqLink begins
with the establishment of a circuit switch voice channel connection
to the mobile device. This can be accomplished by any means made
available to the initiating application or device.
It will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many
changes may be made to the details of the above-described
embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the
invention. The scope of the present invention should, therefore, be
determined only by the following claims.
* * * * *
References